Kantonsschulen

Kantonsschulen are public upper secondary schools in the Swiss cantonal education system that provide a rigorous preparatory education aimed at obtaining the Matura, the general university-entrance qualification. They are funded and administered by the respective cantons. The term reflects cantonal responsibility for secondary education, a characteristic of many cantonal reforms in the 19th and 20th centuries that replaced church- or guild-based schooling with standardized curricula.

Most Kantonsschulen offer multi-year programs leading to the Matura. Students typically choose tracks or focus areas such as languages, natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences, or the arts. Many schools provide bilingual or multilingual options and offer advanced courses across literature, history, sciences, and modern languages, with some schools offering international or exchange programs.

Admission usually follows the completion of the prior level of secondary schooling, with cantonal variants in selection criteria based on academic performance and available places. The Matura examination itself assesses core subjects and selected electives, and successful graduates obtain the qualification required for admission to Swiss universities and, in many cases, to higher education abroad.

Regional differences exist within Switzerland: the exact duration, track structure, and naming of the institutions vary by canton. Some cantons designate these schools as Gymnasien, Kantonsschulen, or by other names, and programs may emphasize early specialization or offer bridges to vocational education as alternative pathways.

Kantonsschulen play a central role in Swiss upper secondary education by providing a general, academically oriented route designed to prepare students for university study and further academic or professional pathways.